Ep. 1 with Abdul-Rehman Malik: Of Beatniks, Sufis and Poets

Prepare for some belly laughs and truth bombs as we are joined in this episode by the award-winning journalist, educator and cultural organiser Abdul-Rehman Malik. Abdul-Rehman is currently a Lecturer and Associate Researcher at Yale Divinity School, where he is Program Coordinator for their Council of Middle East Studies and Director of the Muslim Leadership Lab. Abdul-Rehman is also Programs Manager for Radical Middle Way, which offers faith-inspired guidance and tools for enabling change, combating exclusion and violence, and promoting social justice for all. Abdul-Rehman was a friend of Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore, and recounts some hilarious anecdotes of the late poet. He also shares some powerful thoughts on the role of the poet as holy disruptor, challenging injustice, keeping alive a spiritual connection to the Divine, and exemplifying how to be utterly present and real.  What does this mean for the modern Muslim? Can poetry help us keep our faith relevant in our times and contexts? Is it in fact a means of conversing with God? Listen on to find out... P.S. The campaign he's referring to is at www.launchgood.com/ecstatic-exchange, where you can preorder your copy of Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore's Selected Poems!